RfM: Herbs and Claws (A BenevolentClan Challenge) by Smokeshade
by Binario
Summary: Everyone I ask would tell me that a Warrior is a cat that defends their Clan against danger. The best fighter, the silent hunter, the strongest leader or the respected deputy. But the wisdom to discover the true meaning of a Warrior tends to come in the most unexpected of ways... \A BenevolentClan challenge/
1. It all was falling in the Abyss

**EchoClan**

**Leader**: Badgerstar.- large black tom with white stripes along his flank. Pale blue eyes.

**Deputy:** Frozenswipe.- slender light grey she-cat with fierce icy blue eyes.

**Medicine Cat: **Redstrike.- skinny ginger tom with pale yellow eyes.

Warriors

Eagleshadow.- long-haired, brown furred tom with really long and sharp claws and amber eyes.

Jayclaw.- scarred white she-cat with a grey belly and blue eyes.

Snowflare.- white and ginger tom with long whiskers and green eyes.

Firepath.- small, dark golden she-cat with icy blue eyes. She has a scar on her shoulder.

Smokeshade.- smoky grey she-cat with black spotted markings and blue eyes.

Duststream.- long-haired, black tom with ginger patches, white speckles along his legs and amber eyes.

Nightsong: pale ginger and brown she-cat with cold amber eyes.

Wolfblaze.- long haired, pale brown and white tom with warm brown eyes.

Addercrash: dark grey she-cat with warm yellow eyes and a white-striped tail.

Snowfang.- dark grey tom with black spotted markings, a white chin and bright green eyes.

Spottedwing.- sandy brown she-cat with dusty brown spotted markings on her flanks and green eyes.

Apprentices

Goldenpaw.- long haired, yellow she-cat with green eyes.

Greypaw.- dark grey she-cat with white flecks and deep blue eyes.

Steampaw.- small calico tom with bright amber eyes.

Queens

Snowclaw.- long haired, dark grey she-cat with green eyes. Her legs are skinny.

Elders

Trushcloud.- big brown tabby tom with yellow eyes, shredded ears and yellow teeth.

Hailwhisker.- handsome white tom with bright green eyes.

* * *

_To avoid confusion:_

EchoClan has different traditions and terminology than the rest of the Clans. They actually belief that the success of their Clan and the only way to avoid it from being destroyed or broken apart is to keep the ancient traditions and Code. Some of the traditions are questionable, but they insist on keeping them.

About the Warrior Code and Clan relations: EchoClan has a similar Code than the Original Clans created by Erin Hunter, but some of the rules are altered. The same applies to the interactions inside a Clan.

-There are no Gatherings. Since the start of the War of Kin, EchoClan rejected the possibility of keeping a truce for less than a sun for obvious reasons.

-The medicine cats are respected, but not always. Medicine cats are a figure of authority in the Clans, but their lack of fighting abilities make some warriors see them as if they were in a lower position. This appears to have developed since the start of the war.

-There is a new rule that includes The Vow of Stars. Every medicine cat and medicine cat apprentice must make a vow to StarClan that enlist several things. One of them is that no matter the circumstances, they can't lay a claw on any of their clanmates or rivals.

-The elders are expected to stay in Camp, but not obliged. Elders can go exploring the territory whenever they find the necessity to do it. The guards at the entrance may try to stop them, but they usually allow them through.

-There are no restrictions in a battle. Since the start of War, it's do or die in the battlefield. Even if it's not celebrated upon, killing an opponent is the outcome of almost all the confrontations.

**Terminology**

Sun: a day.

Co-supervisor: a second cat who watches the assessment of an apprentice along with the mentor. Their report is of greater importance than the mentor's.

Fighting stage: the several different battle techniques and styles that are taught to apprentices to be used on specific terrain. Example.- on the shore, in the caves, in a clearing.

Old fox: term used as insult for the ones who are deaf, blind or have any other disability.

Wanderer: a loner.

Shortflow: a river that has dried up partially.

Highflow: a once calm river that has changed to have a particularly strong current with a danger of flooding.

Emergency patrol: patrols organized to search for herbs or materials to reinforce the structure of the entrance during abnormal weather.

**_Xxx_**

"Hey! That's no fair!"

Smokeshade rolled her eyes at the young apprentice's irritated yowls. Of course Greypaw would start complaining about having to fight her mentor -a normal thing for any EchoClan apprentice mind you- or any other cat with more experience than her for the matter. The she-cat's dramatic attitude was what made her infamous in the Clan after all.

A low growl hiding barely contained anger snapped Smokeshade of her thoughts. The blue eyed she-cat returned her attention to the two sparring cats a few fox-lengths away with certain morbid amusement. The dark grey pelt of Greypaw was matted in wet mud, the substance slowly marching down her paws and back to the ground. In sharp contrast, the imposing form of Duststream observed his apprentice's reaction with almost no trace of mud clinging to his body. Smokeshade had to admit it: the tom was the best when teaching mischievous apprentices how to respect the Code.

"I can't fight like this! The mud makes my movements slow and forced! I can barely manage the speed to avoid your attacks", Greypaw hissed in evident frustration. To demonstrate her point she stomped the ground with her front legs until they were half stuck in the substance. "See?!"

Duststream growled and grabbed the apprentice by the scruff -much to Smokeshade's delight- and dropped her on a different part of the Great Shore. "Look, I know you hate getting your pelt viscous but until you join another Clan or turn into a fox you will follow my orders. Every single one of your clanmates already approved this fighting stage! Why can't you even try?" Either Greypaw flinched at the way the last words were spat at her or she simply tried to shake off the rest of the mud from her muzzle, Smokeshade would never know. What she did know was that from that moment, the dramatic apprentice cooperated with her mentor and finished the shore-fighting in record time.

Once Greypaw had marched off to met with her fellow apprentices did Smokeshade got up from her spot and addressed Duststream. "Charming she-cat you were given to train", the smoky warrior purred. Duststream growled in mock annoyance and shock off the mud on his hind legs. Knowing that the black tom wouldn't answer so easily, Smokeshade continued ranting. "Personally, I don't think she is ready to become a warrior. I mean, she whines about every single fighting stage that she must complete. What is she going to do if RaggedClan invades again? Complain until they are too annoyed to battle? Now that would be worth watching! A whole Clan retreating because the whines got too irritating"

"You just love to bother me, right Smokeshade?", Duststream said with a sigh. The she-cat nudged him with a paw, "But of course! If I didn't then you wouldn't be my friend!"

The tom glanced one last time at the shortflow river with a frown and motioned Smokeshade to follow him back to Camp. "If it was my decision then Greypaw wouldn't put a paw inside the warrior's den for many moons. She isn't even ready to live the life of a warrior. That she-cat will get herself killed during a border battle. But..."

"But what?", Smokeshade studied him in surprise. "You are not seriously going to tell Frozenswipe that she's ready, are you?" At being greeted by silence, Smokeshade growled in outrage. "You are going to tell her that! You are going to allow Badgerstar to make her a warrior soon! Forget it Duststream! I'm the one who was co-supervising her final assessment and my report will be full of reasons to stuck her as apprentice for several other moons."

Smokeshade expected Duststream to argue. She expected him to snap back at her with all the valid arguments to allow Greypaw to become a warrior. What she wasn't expecting was the sudden pressure of a ginger patched tail blocking her jaws. The tom glared at her with cold amber eyes. "I'm not bursting with happiness either! I would follow your opinion and present a negative assessment of my apprentice when confronting the deputy because I know all of that is true. Even if we have the facts you need to understand! The Clan has too few warriors right now! RaggedClan has even more members than ever in our history! Frozenswipe called all of the mentors two suns ago to tell us to present a positive report of our apprentices' progress so Badgerstar can make them all warriors at once! I know Greypaw will be more of a liability in battle but I don't want to face Frozenswipe's wrath when she realizes that I neglected her orders."

Ah, so that was the reason! The smoky grey warrior had seen the tension practically leaking from the other mentors when they encountered their apprentices and the co-supervisors at the Camp's entrance. And she had not failed to see Frozenswipe's predatory gaze focusing on the mentors from the Moss Stone either. The deputy was just being too demanding and unfair; those poor apprentices were under the illusion that they were becoming warriors because of their advanced abilities, not because EchoClan needed some extra sets of claws in battle.

"Don't blame Frozenswipe for this, Smokeshade. All of us are living during difficult times, she is just doing what she thinks is right."

The smoky she-cat snarled at her friend like a wounded fox as her eyes became cold. "I know she thinks that's right but that's just no enough excuse! The difficulties of the path can't even justify this violations of the Code! What's next, forcing a senior she-cat warrior to become a queen in order to increase our numbers? Ripping away the medicine cat from his position and force him to train as warrior? Sending the elders out to battle? This is insane! I will give a positive assessment of Greypaw just because you're my friend but don't expect me to do that again for anyone!"

If Smokechase had looked back during her determined march to Camp she would have seen the hurt and remorse flashing in Duststream's amber eyes.

**_Xxx_**

"I, Badgerstar, leader of EchoClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentices. They have shown exceptional abilities during their training and assessments and I'm proud of the positive revisions of the mentors and co-supervisors", the powerful baritone voice of Badgerstar reached Smokeshade's ears. She was currently curled up in her nest, having refused to attend the ceremony, but she couldn't block the sounds from outside. Of course she had given the promised positive revision of Greypaw -StarClan rip that smile from Frozenswipe's face- and personally congratulated the apprentice as the tradition demanded but her own morals stopped her from joining her clanmates by the Moss Stone.

"Goldenpaw, Greypaw, Steampaw, will you give your life for the Clan and promise to follow our Code even when the starry pelts of our ancestors greet you when your time comes?"

"I do", three voices with barely contained enthusiasm replied at unison.

"The by the might of our ancestors I give you your warrior names. Goldenpaw, you shall now be known as Goldenwing! Greypaw, you shall now be known as Greyfrost! Steampaw, you shall now be known as Steamcloud! This young cats shall now be allowed to participate in battle, to visit the hunting grounds of our territory unsupervised and to move to the warrior's den. This apprentices are no more! Lets welcome the new warriors of EchoClan!"

"Goldenwing! Greyfrost! Steamcloud!", the Clan's cheering was irritatingly joyous. Yes, they were three now warriors to launch themselves at the RaggedClan rivals. Of course they symbolized new hope for the future of EchoClan. Yes, they appeared to be ready to defend the Clan but Smokeshade knew better than that. Did all of her clanmates really thought that those childish, arrogant and unexperienced cats could face the strong and battle-hardened warriors of RaggedClan? To those who season upon season would snatch a piece of EchoClan's territory?

"StarClan help my Clan", Smokeshade murmured as she drifted off in sleep.

**_Xxx_**

"I hate rain."

A simple statement. A true one at that. Those simple three words that were answered with groans or murmurs of approval. Smokeshade found herself nodding much to her annoyance. Who knew that a prolonged rain would cause her to actually agree with Greyp-Greyfrost for once?

"When is this horrible rain going to stop? We have been in here for suns!"

"Shut up Nightsong! Your yowls keep won't let me sleep!"

"I'm not yowling, you dog-breath! I'm simply sharing my thoughts about this terrible weather."

"Same thing", murmured someone by the back of the den.

Smokeshade rolled her eyes. Nightsong could be even worst than Greyfrost when it came to complaining. The egomaniac she-cat had been whining about the rain from the very start of it and she gave no sign of stopping.

"Perhaps now RaggedClan will be less likely to attack us", a tom by the name of Snowfang muttered when Nightsong stopped to catch her breath. Smokeshade cringed unconsciously at the reality behind the tom's words. True, RaggedClan was the enemy but not even them should suffer from such weather. The she-cat vaguely remembered a Camp in the middle of two enormous canyon walls from a long forgotten battle. She could still remember the caves at ground level full with moss nests from where screeching warriors emerged to defend their Camp. They would be full of water and wet bodies by now. Of course, if they had chosen a Camp like EchoClan had then they wouldn't need to worry about those problems. The dens were caves too, but they were completely protected from the harsh weather and also far from the ground. Even better, silent direct attacks during the night were impossible, as the entrances were covered by a tunnel of brambles that made it difficult to enter if you weren't an instructed EchoClan cat.

"I guess we shall wait", Snowfang sighed tiredly. The tom's fur was wet and his nest was damped as well by now. It appeared that he was on one of the emergency patrols that Badgerstar appointed. Well, they really would need those herbs by the end of the storm. StarClan knows how many cats would be infected with Greencought.

Smokeshade curled up tighter on her nest to block away the still complaining screechy voice of Nightsong and the annoyed growls of most of the den's occupants.

**_Xxx_**

Her name being called by the cold voice broke Smokeshade's peaceful resting. She unwillingly rolled to her paws and stretched quickly, ignoring the unpleasant sensation of the damped soil clinging to her pads. Her blue eyes glanced with a bored expression at Frozenswipe as she walked up to the Moss Rock. The deputy regarded her with an emotionless icy blue gaze. "You are to lead a patrol up to the Southern border. Check the river's flow, mark the border and scout for any sign of trespassing. Eagleshadow, Greyfrost and Addercrash are to accompany you."

The mentioned cats looked up from their conversations and walked to the Moss Rock. Smokeshade looked at her patrol and nodded, flicking her tail as a sign to follow her. As they slipped inside the Rock Tunnel that was their entrance, the smoky warrior grunted in discomfort at the cold surface of the passage. Behind her, she could distinguish three other complaining grunts that quickly subsided.

Blinking to adjust to the light, she guided her clanmates through the almost silent forest. Her paws sunk in several mud banks but she dismissed the sensation of the sticky fur to remain alert for any unfamiliar sound.

"Hear that?", Eagleshadow perked his ears and looked around wildly. "What's that sound?"

The whole patrol froze with their ears perked. Greyfrost snarled under her breath and nudged Smokeshade. "It's like a monster's roar."

Smokeshade rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Don't be ridiculous, monsters never come to our territory. That's just far away from one of RaggedClan's borders. No, I know that sound". With another flick of her tail, the smoky warrior walked until they reached the river that marked part of the Southern border. Rising her voice so she would be heard over the thunderous roar of the current, Smokeshade pushed her clanmates far away from what was left of the Great Shore. "The rain caused a highflow! The current is too strong to get near it, a cat would drown in seconds! We need to report to Frozenswipe that there's a risk of flooding from this border!"

"But Frozenswipe told us to check the current!", Greyfrost yelled while glancing at the river. "You are basing your report in a hypothesis, not in a proved fact! We should actually check how strong is the current before returning to Camp!"

Smokeshade shook her head firmly as she walked back into the forest. "It's too dangerous! We still need to mark the Southern border from another spot and scout for intruders -which would be really stupid to try and invade during this rain and with a highflow river- before going back! I'm not risking anyone's life just to check if that current can carry off a cat!"

"But-!'

"I said no Greyfrost! We will not put a paw near that river!", said that, the she-cat turned around and headed for a safer part of the border. She heard the resigned huff of Greyfrost as they reassumed positions to follow her. Checking the highflow river? Did Greyfrost had a death wish or what?

"Come back!"

Before Addercrash even finished her sentence, Smokeshade was already running behind Greyfrost as the young cat raced to the river. So she did had a death wish!

"Don't do it!", Smokeshade screeched in alarm as Greyfrost stopped on the peak of a stone that arched over the river. The grey warrior had a paw almost touching the frenzied waters' surface when she was grabbed by the scruff and pulled back. Greyfrost yelped in surprise, which quickly became an enraged snarl as the blue eyes of Smokeshade locked with her own. "I was about to complete Frozenswipe's orders!"

"No, you were not! You were going to be carried away by the current the moment your paw came in contact with the river! I gave the order of no nearing the shore for a reason!"

Greyfrost arched her back and bared her teeth. "And I was about to make Frozenswipe proud! I'm not a weak kit like you! I'm not scared of taking risks to finish a task!" The outraged she-cat swiped an unsheathed paw to Smokeshade's head. By instinctual reflex, the she-cat dodged the swipe and stepped back to put more space between herself and the attacker.

Time seemed to stay still as her hind legs slipped from the border of the stone arch and the rest of her unbalanced body followed in a flail of paws and fur. Her blue eyes were widened in surprise and raw fear as the grey sky mocked her before she was swallowed by frenzied waters and carried by the current. Dazed, she kicked her legs around, trying desperately to grab hold of something, anything, to prevent her from drowning but her paws were just met by water and more water. Her lungs ached and her throat started to close as she shocked on the water that found its way in her mouth. The current shot her to the surface in the spur of the moment before submerging her again. She vaguely heard what appeared to be a scream before she was greeted again by the crazed torrent. Her eyes looked around wildly underneath the strength of the liquid for the shore but her pelt pulled her down as a persistent creature of the dept. Pain erupted from her neck and she was falling. Falling in the dark abyss of unconsciousness.


	2. Like Glass, it all Shatters

"_Our life is brief..."_

_"Hey Smokekit! Come and play Hunters with us!"_

_"Are you sure Dustkit?"_

_"Of course! The other will be happy to have you in the game! Right, Frozenpaw, Adderkit?"_

_"Positive"_

_"Of course!"_

_"Great!"_

_"...everyone complains about the lack of time we have to enjoy it..."_

_"-eyfrost! Help me drag her out!_

_"She is not moving!"_

_"S-She just slipped by herself!"_

_"...the truth is that we have the time, we just don't enjoy it..."_

_"Then you shall be known as Smokepaw! Hailwhisker will be your mentor!"_

_"Dustpaw! Adderpaw! Firepaw! Smokepaw!"_

_"Hailwhisker! The deputy! I'm so jealous!"_

_"Of course you are Dustpaw! But Trushcloud is one of the most experienced warriors in the Clan!"_

_"Yeah, you're right... I bet I will win you in a fight"_

_"Keep dreaming tom"_

_"...difficulties are just tests in our path, Smokeshade..."_

_"She is so cold!...swipe will question...op staring! Move it!"_

_"You're too fast, Adder...Greyfrost, head to Camp and war..."_

_"...everyone must face difficulties in their lives..."_

_"Adderpaw! Wait up!"_

_"You're too slow!"_

_"Not true!"_

_"So true!"_

_"Come on Adderpaw, stop for a minute"_

_"All right, all right! Just because you're my best friend"_

_"...difficulties are just a way to force us to compensate our defects..."_

_"What happened o...Redstrike, quick! Smokeshade has..."_

_"W-We were by the Southern bor..."_

_"Move her to my den, qui..."_

_"Will she be..."_

_"Is she death?"_

_"Barely holding on...cobwebs...someone go and get some...OUT!"_

_"...be patient and courageous during this rough periods of time..."_

_"Duststream! Addercrash! Firepath! Smokeshade!"_

_"At least!"_

_"Warriors..."_

_"Good job friends!"_

_"We did it!"_

_"...for life..."_

_"Don't blame Frozenswipe for this, Smokeshade. All of us are living during difficult times, she is just doing what she thinks is right"_

_"You are going to tell her that! You are going to allow Badgerstar to make her a warrior soon! Forget it Duststream! I'm the one who was co-supervising her final assessment and my report will be full of reasons to stuck her as apprentice for several other moons"_

_"...always prizes..."_

_"What's up with Duststream"_

_"He hates me"_

_"He does not! He is your best friend!"_

_"He believes me an arrogant fool after my rant about Greypaw's assessment"_

_"...well, he is judgmental"_

_"I don't know what to do, Addercrash!"_

_"...those who overcame those obstacles of the way..."_

_"StarClan, help this poor young one"_

_"...those who stood firm as they walked on fire..."_

_"No, you were not! You were going to be carried away by the current the moment your paw came in contact with the river! I gave the order of no nearing the shore for a reason!"_

_"And I was about to make Frozenswipe proud! I'm not a weak kit like you! I'm not scared of taking risks to finish a task!"_

_"Smokeshade!"_

_"Grab her, quick!"_

_"She's not moving!"_

_"...those who held their head high as everyone they knew mocked them..."_

_Falling. Falling through the darkness. Painless. Sightless. Scared. Where's everyone? Where am I?_

_Chocking. Chocking on dark water as it entered my mouth. Spitting it out won't work. Lungs aching. Claws glinting in the liquid. A prayer to StarClan. Water everywhere. It swallows me. It engulfs me. It devours my fur as I struggle to survive. A harsh light. Panic. Desperation. Grief. Remorse. Fear. Water everywhere. Darkness invades my vision. It enters my ears. It covers my paws. It pulls on my tail. The fight to survive the howling current. Water everywhere. The white hot pain on my neck. My head throbs with the sudden impact. Pulling. Something's pulling me away. Away from the unforgiving current. I'm cold. Alone. Frightened. Forgotten._

_Water everywhere._

_"...those who overcame their disabilities to become true fighters. That is the point of difficulties. It makes us true Warriors."_

**_Xxx_**

The insistent feeling of something nudging her side pulled Smokeshade out of the shadowed abyss that was her mind. Blinking open her eyes she flinched at the harsh sunlight that washed over her face. Her head started to hurt badly as she struggled to sit up. Where was she?

"What do you think you are doing?!", a muffled raspy voice spat as soon as she moved. Smokeshade slowly reopened her eyes to met Redstrike's infuriated yellow gaze. The old medicine cat pushed her back into the nest, causing a wave of dizziness and pain to crawl it's way up to her head. "You shouldn't be moving around!"

The smoky warrior looked around, dazed. She was alive?

As if reading her mind, the skinny ginger tom snorted and continued changing the cobwebs covering her flank. "You're lucky to be alive. Some more heartbeats in the water and you would be running with stars all over your pelt. Fox-brained cats who care a mouse-tail about their lives..."

"Why does my head hurts so much?", she practically croaked out. Smokeshade vaguely wondered when would Redstrike help her take that horrible cobweb from her ears.

"You hit a rock", he said flatly. The tom refused to even look at her until he had finished with her flank and proved the strength of the applied cobwebs. "Don't you dare try to walk. Your head should stop hurting by the second sun. No visits until you regain the strength"

Smokeshade nodded and was about to curl up again when Redstrike stomped to the front and disappeared through the bramble entrance. Dumbfounded, the she-cat waited until the ginger tom had returned. She was mildly surprised to see a deep scowl marking his features. "What happened?"

The tom glared at her with hatred, though it was not directed to her. "You didn't hear them? That ungrateful, halfwit new warriors! They come hear to annoy me each chance they got! They make me just want to lash out!"

"Who of the three was it?", Smokeshade asked calmly. Of course she had an idea of who. After all, that grey pest had being bothering her since she moved to the warrior's den. But to keep Redstrike's aggressive temper under control while she was under his watch was her top priority.

"The runt, Greyfrost"

Smokeshade nodded. Yes, that sounded like something she would do. "Then perhaps when I'm recovered and you help me get these cobwebs from my head then I can have a talk with the she-cat"

Redstrike's yellow gaze pierced her eyes with an unknown emotion that made Smokeshade want to curl up in a corner and disappear. The unnerving tension marking the medicine cat's muscles made the fur along her back spike.

"Smokeshade, there are no cobwebs on your head", his voice was but a mere whisper, though Smokeshade had the feeling that it was as loud as a yell.

"What? But I can barely hear you or anything else for the matter! There must be something obstruc-", the she-cat froze. Dread swirled in her mind and invaded all of her body. She could feel her tail lashing nervously beside her and her whiskers flatten against her muzzle. Her ears perked and twitched nervously, trying, begging to hear the tom laugh and tell her to move over so he could change those cobwebs. But as the heartbeats passed, reality stroke Smokeshade as a tidal wave.

"Your ears suffered the most", Redstrike began unsure. The tom placed a comforting tail over her shoulders as she trembled. "The sensitive internal organ was damaged. The water was carrying all sort of materials carried by the rain. You had an ear infection when I finally treated your external injuries. I did what I could to save your hearing but..."

"I'm half deaf", Smokeshade whispered.

"I'm truly sorry Smokeshade", Redstrike soothed her. Her scared blue eyes looked up to his, dare she say it, softening yellow gaze. "What's going to happen to me, Redstrike?"

"Time will tell"

**_Xxx_**

_"What?!"_

Badgerstar's posture didn't even change from her sudden outburst. The leader regarded her with the same calmness that he displayed at the Gatherings. "Your current disability will cause you more harm that good in a battle, Smokeshade. It's only logical for you to cease your activities as a warrior permanently. You'll become a liability during a fight and we can't allow ourselves to pass through another hostage situation. Please understand, I'm doing what's best for my Clan"

"B-But what will I do? I have trained all my life to be a warrior for EchoClan! I can't just throw my training away because of this accident!"

"Smokeshade", the baritone voice seemed to harden just a fraction but it still made the she-cat flinch. This was her leader she was snapping to! "I know it's hard for you to accept it. I can't even imagine what are you now living with but I can't ket you out there and get yourself killed by RaggedClan. What would happen if you didn't hear an order? Or if you couldn't detect an enemy trying to sneak up on you?"

"I know this isn't fair but you have two options now: you either move into the elder's den with Trushcloud and Hailwhisker or you train under Redstrike as medicine cat."

_"...Ripping away the medicine cat from his position and force him to train as warrior?"_

The thought crossed her mind in a flash. Ironic. Really ironic if she really analyzed it. Her fate was decided in that sentence but the titles were swapped. Who knew?

Smokeshade's mind raced to find a third solution. She begged to StarClan to think of something else, of anything other than giving up her position. She couldn't just give up on all her training like that. She could still protect her Clan somehow! But as much as she pondered her situation, it all came to one thing: her disability would curse her to a different path. She couldn't be a warrior anymore. But if she really wanted to serve her Clan, there was an available option. The only way that allowed her to somehow rebuilt her already shattering life.

"I-I still want to serve my Clan", Smokeshade muttered and was surprised to realize the difficulty she had on commenting her decision. "I will train with Redstrike"

Badgerstar nodded, looked around, and then leaned over her. "I'm sorry to force this two options on you. Forgive me"

**_Xxx_**

"Let all cats old enough to set a paw in the deep caves gather beneath the Moss Rock for a Clan meeting!", Badgerstar's voice rang across the Camp. From her position beside the large black tom, Smokeshade was surprised to actually hear him pretty well. Who know the tom's rich baritone would be some of the few things she could still hear?

The muffled sound of pawsteps snapped her back to reality as multiple eyes glanced her way. From beside her, Redstrike lightly nudged her without taking his eyes from the crowd. "Don't flinch back"

"Everyone's aware of the river accident eleven suns ago", Badgerstar started. "Smokeshade is fully recovered and ready to return to her normal activities. However, due to a complication during her recovering, Smokeshade is unable to return to her life as a warrior or to perform patrols again. A-"

"Will she get privileges then?", someone sneered from the crowd. Smokeshade's blue eyes narrowed at Greyfrost, daring the she-cat to continue.

"Well, that's no fair!", Nightsong growled in defiance. Murmurs started to rise as the cats became agitated, eyes watching both Smokeshade and Badgerstar in a mix of confusion, pity, outrage and understanding. For once, Smokeshade thanked her condition for preventing all the murmurs from reaching her.

"Silence!", Frozenswipe's voice quieted them in a heartbeat. The usually stoic deputy was bristled in anger, her light grey tail lashing like an outraged adder.

Badgerstar nodded his approval to the she-cat and continued. "Smokeshade will continue to serve EchoClan as the medicine cat apprentice due to her auditive complication. Every warrior is to return to their normal activities. Meeting dismissed"

**_Xxx_**

"Tansy, catmint, cobweb, poppy seed...yarrow?"

Redstrike sighed and pushed the herbs aside. "Marigold, actually"

Smokeshade's ears flattened in frustration. She already had moons of training as medicine cat, yet all the new knowledge seemed to fly away from her mind. She was frustrated with herself. The she-cat knew she could memorize the names, she knew she could! But as much as she concentrated and as much as she tried, the ex-warrior just couldn't fulfill her new role as medicine cat.

"Don't worry about it", Redstrike said softly. "You'll get it right one day, you'll see". The ginger tom glanced at the entrance, growled something to low for his apprentice to hear, and then rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You have a visitor, it seems. Just don't strain yourself too much or I will have your tail when I get back"

Smokeshade watched her mentor disappear through the bramble tunnel of the entrance -as soundless as the previous moons- and waited for the telltale vibration that came before any cat passed through. The bramble shook harshly and a dark grey head with yellow eyes invaded her vision. Addercrash caught sight of her and smiled gleefully. "Smokeshade! How are you doing?"

The smoky she-cat purred and signaled her friend to sit by her side. "I'm doing well until now, Addercrash. Being a medicine cat is so different than what we warriors used to imagine"

"I can imagine. There are so many herbs and uses for them to learn! But oh well, better memorize those things than dealing with Redstrike's infamous temper...", Addercarsh trailed off when noticing the sharp glare Smokeshade directed to her. "What? Don't tell me it's not true"

"Actually, being the medicine cat's apprentice gave me a privilege. Redstrike might be grumpy, snarky and bad tempered but I got to see that side of him that no-one else saw. He's actually a compassionate cat, you know? He supported me from the very first day of my training as if he was an old friend", Smokeshade whispered to her friend, not wanting any eavesdropper to annoy Redstrike with her opinion.

"I never thought old Redstrike could be capable of that but-". By the sudden jump of her friend, Smokeshade guessed that Frozenswipe had called requested her presence. It was funny actually, still half deaf yet she could sometimes understand things better than when sound reached her ears fully. With an apologetic shrug and a quick flick of her whiskers, Addercrash slipped away through the bramble tunnel. Smokeshade watched her friend retreat with longing in her eyes. How she wished she could go out there and patrol again...

The growl of her stomach prevented the she-cat from going again in a grief-stricken mood. Licking her lips, the medicine cat padded out of the den to find her share of prey.

The sunlight washed over her pelt the instant she abandoned the shade of the cave. She blinked a few times before following the stony path to the bottom of the Camp. Her paws followed the soft and well-marked trail zigzagging downwards until the surface changed. She walked confidently up to the fresh-kill pile -a pretty big one- and picked up a plump squirrel. Glancing around and noting that the Camp appeared to be empty, she found a peaceful spot near the Moss Rock that had a nice shadow to lay at. With the squirrel in her mouth, Smokeshade enjoyed the pleasurable feeling of the wind through her fur before starting to dig in her prey. For once since the day of her accident, the ex-warrior had found a moment to be alone.

"Hey old fox! What are you doing?"

Smokeshade could feel her pelt starting to bristle by the sudden interruption. Forcing herself to remain calm, she regarded the annoyance with cold indifference. "Yes Nightsong? Is there something I can help you with?"

The ginger and brown she-cat snorted, her eyes shining with malice. "Actually, old fox, you could help me by removing your tail from here and returning to your little den"

"I would prefer if you refrained from calling me old fox", Smokeshade spat in irritation. Nightsong merely smirked and muttered under her breath. Smokeshade's ears perked in an attempt to hear something subconsciously before she could stop them. Of course Nightsong would mock her when no-one could see her. She quickly made a mental note to control the sudden jerk of her ears before standing up and leaving for her den.

"That's it old fox! Run! Run away like the filthy coward you are!"

**_Xxx_**

"Smokeshade!"

The she-cat jolted awake in fright. Redstrike merely slapped his tail across her ears and finished dragging a body to one of the nests. Smokeshade quickly rolled to her paws, inwardly growling at the moss accumulated in her fur and between her claws. She vaguely wondered if Redstrike would allow her to grab some feathers...

"Stop daydreaming, you moronic cat! This wounds won't heal for themselves!"

"What's the gravity of the wound?", she quickly asked, hoping that her mentor's answer would be verbal rather than through claws. The old tom grunted in frustration as he assessed the wounds and signaled her to have a look. Smokeshade almost screeched in horror at the sight. Various deep lacerations adorned the cat's stomach and neck, a steady stream of blood damping what was left of fur. The hind legs were all scratched, as if something tried to prevent the unfortunate victim from escaping. One of the paws was crooked in an impossible angle and the chest was completely furless and bloodied.

"StarClan have mercy on Duststream", Redstrike muttered as he started licking the wounds clean. Dashing to the deepest part of the den, Smokeshade's ears darted from herb to herb. "Training, don't fail me now!"  
"Smokeshade, we don't have all sun!" The she-cat nervously grabbed marigold and started chewing it. With a trembling paw, she snatched up some cobwebs and trotted up to Duststream. Redstrike nodded at her encouragingly and critically observed her as she applied the poultice to the lacerations and wrapped them up with the cobwebs. A proud smile threatened to show up on his features but the younger she-cat was too busy to notice. The ginger medicine cat examined the cobwebs and nodded. "Great job Smokeshade! So you did remember where was the marigold!", signaling to the broken leg, the tom studied her reaction. "Now, what do we do with this?"

Smokeshade narrowed her eyes in concentration and returned to the herb storage, returning with broom leaves hanging from her jaws as well as more cobwebs. She quickly crushed the leaves, rubbed them along the tiny scratched near the fracture, and started wrapping them around the leg. Once done, she reinforced the bandage with cobwebs and looked at her mentor expectantly. Said cat was actually smiling at her. "You're improving"

Smokeshade nodded in acknowledgment but her eyes kept glancing at Duststream worriedly. Redstrike noticed the uneasiness of his apprentice and wrapped a tail around her shoulders comfortingly. "What troubles you, kit?"

"What did this to him?", her voice was hollow and low, making it difficult to hear herself.

"RaggedClan", Redstrike spat with venom. "The borders were changed by them last sun. Badgerstar was outraged! He send out a patrol to remark the original borders but they got separated by RaggedClan cats. Duststream was found after the small battle like this. Cowards never showed their faces..." The medicine cat huffed and headed for the entrance. He paused for a heartbeat before turning to her and raising his voice. "If he wakes up, give him some poppy seeds. I'm going to have a talk with Badgerstar". Smokeshade merely nodded and watched her mentor retreat.

**_Xxx_**

A muffled, for her, moan of pain made Smokeshade rearrange her daily herb-sorting for later. Grabbing up two poppy seeds, the she-cat made her way to her patient. The patched tom's eyes flew open as he took in his surroundings. The confused amber gaze landed on Smokeshade and it was replaced by coldness. Smokeshade merely placed the poppy seeds near his mouth and nudged them closer. "Eat them, they'll ease your pain"

Duststream studied her for a heartbeat before eating the seeds, his eyes never leaving hers. The smoky she-cat shifted nervously under the calculative gaze. "You had several lacerations and one broken leg. The bone's healing quickly so we won't need to worry for future problems."

The tom considered her words for a moment, his whiskers barely twitching. Then, with a huff of resignation, he lowered his head back to the nest. "At least I get to get out soon..."

Smokeshade was certain that Duststream had said something else. She could practically feel the whisper from the tom's jaws. Posture tensing, she flicked her tail in a dismissal. "I have no idea what is the problem with you". The she-cat bit back a screech when razor-sharp claws dug into her tail. Shocked blue eyes met outraged amber and, for a heartbeat, the medicine cat thought she saw desperation glint behind the cold spheres. "What's the problem with me, you say?", the poison-laced snarl wasn't particularly loud (not that she could detect that anyway) but it made Smokeshade feel cornered. "Oh, I don't know, _Foxface_! It may have nothing to be with the fact that you betrayed me!"

"How is becoming half-deaf betraying you _Coldheart_?! I should be the one feeling betrayed, not you! Do you have any idea of what is to be only visited by Addercrash? To only have one friend support you? I have been teased, judged and ignored! Most of the Clan is calling me a coward! You have no idea what's to live as a prisoner in the middle of a rival Clan", the she-cat snarled back, not giving Duststream the satisfaction of making her whimper in distress. Though as her words hung in the silence, the suffocating feeling of regret started to claw its way up her heart. Her betrayed and wounded mind saw a lying, self-centered enemy that would slice her neck open at night if he got the chance. But in sharp contrast, her compassionate yet fading soul saw a confused friend who was barely holding on.

"Lie to yourself old fox. You followed the path of the cowards and you turned your back to the Clan. To your life". _To me, your own best friend. _


	3. True Warrior

_**With this, Herbs and Claws finally ends. This Challenge has taken a lot of time to finish, but it refuses to go away. Soon I will publish Smokeshade's story, as I have fallen in love with all of EchoClan.**_

_**-Cheetahstar**_

* * *

_A lone figure races across the plain, it's movements marked with feline grace. His pads are getting sore from running, though he still pushes himself further. The wind howls in his ears and he lets out a yowl of happiness. The white tail lashes behind in a harmonic pattern, bright green eyes full of joy and eagerness. The tom finally stops at a hill and turns around, the strong breeze buffeting his face. Farther behind, the familiar scene of his territory calls for him to return. Just a moment, he thought, just a heartbeat of joyful solitude before heading back._

_He sighs, a smile making its way up his face. He closes his eyes and lets himself fall in the tall grass. Memories flash across his mind, a whirlwind of years upon years of experience. Battles won, battles lost. Friends and foes. Love and hate. Young and old._

"Hailwhisker, are you awake?"

The bright green eyes snap open to greet a pair of blue ones. The elder yawns widely and stretches, knowing that his former apprentice would wait until he finished. Risking a glance to his denmate, he motions the visitor to wait outside.

"No more sleep it seems", Hailwhisker mutters as he heads outside. "It doesn't really surprises me."

Smokeshade nods respectfully when her former mentor joins her outside, once again feeling pity and guilt crawling its way past her barriers. The relatively young tom nods back and sits down, minding to apply less pressure on his front legs. "So you finally had the thought of visiting this poor old fox, yes?", he smirks sarcastically, a glint of mischief appearing in his eyes.

"I did visit you before", Smokeshade states bluntly. "Two or three moons ago maybe? I had been caught up with training."

The white tom tilts his head to the side in a childish manner. "And how is it going the exchange of perfectly good claws for green herbs?"

The she-cat winced involuntarily, though she knew the tom meant no harm. Sighing with melancholy, Smokeshade met her past mentor's eyes. "As well as it can go. At least now I know the difference between tansy and yarrow..." She let out a sarcastic chuckle -or at least she thought she did- to which the white cat just shook his head. "Come on, it can't be that bad! If you decide to be the best medicine cat the Clan has ever seen, then not even StarClan will be able to stop you!"

The tom's kind words raised Smokeshade's mood a little, though her eyes were still dull and lost. Hailwhisker poked her shoulder with his tail, to which he received no answer. "But that's not the problem", the white cat meowed in comprehension. "Something's clawing you from inside."

"It's just that-"

"No! Not here!", Hailwhisker cut her off, already leading the way out of Camp. "Who wants a bunch of eavesdroppers around?" Smokeshade followed, both shocked and insecure of following the white elder far away from Camp. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Elders should rest and-"

"Don't start with that elder stereotype!", Hailwhisker snapped angrily. "If I want to get out of Camp then I get out of Camp! If someone is against this then they should come and stop me."

Smokeshade said nothing, knowing that Hailwhisker would recover from his outburst if he was not bothered again for a while. Surprisingly, no cat meet them at the entrance to stop them, not even Badgerstar who was sharing a vole near the nursery.

Hailwhisker did not stop near Camp. Instead, he followed a memorized path through the cliffs. Up and down the stone walls they went and from stone to stone they leaped -much to Smokeshade's worry- until they reached the plains at the bottom. Still, Hailwhisker continued padding along the imaginary route. When her paws started to get sore and her throat raspy, they finally reached a grass-covered hill. The she-cat looked back at the familiar cliffs behind, wondering how far away they were.

"I used to come here when I was a young warrior", the white tom said wistfully. "I still remember the long nights of stargazing..." Hailwhisker sighed, motioning Smokeshade to sit with him. "So tell me, what were you saying at Camp?"

The smoky medicine cat flexed her claws, cutting several grass blades in the process. The distant howl of the wind calmed her and she found out that her words flowed from her mouth like water. She told Hailwhisker about the pressure of learning to be a half-deaf medicine cat, of how the Clan behaved around her. She told him about Addercrash and Duststream, about Nightsong and Greyfrost, about Redstrike and Frozenswipe. The confusion and inner panic followed afterwards, making her voice tremble until it reached a full stop. Smokeshade quickly found herself whimpering like a lost kit in the forest.

Hailwhisker said nothing while she talked, instead analyzing her confession. When the moment of weakness came -and he knew it was going to happen- he wrapped his tail around her shoulders in a comforting way. "What are you going to do then?"

"I don't know."

"Well, there's always another option", Hailwhisker meowed calmly. "Clan life is clearly too difficult for a disabled cat. You could always follow this plains until you are completely out of Clan territory and-"

"I won't become a _wanderer_!", Smokeshade snarled in outrage, her previous despair forgotten. The simple idea of abandoning Clan life? Unthinkable!

Hailwhisker impaled his vibrant gaze on her bristling form. The wind ruffled his fur, making him look bigger than he already was. "Then fight this. You are a now medicine cat and a medicine cat you'll stay. We don't simply give up on our Clan like that when they need us the most. Show me that lion heart of yours! Show me the cunning warrior of the smoky pelt!" Said this, the white elder spun around and followed the barely visible trail back home.

Unconsciously, the she-cat padded behind the tom as an apprentice would do.

_**Xxx**_

"Better. You have been improving.", the fiery ginger tom huffed.

Smokeshade dipped her head in gratitude to the old medicine cat. After nine moons of training, she could finally cure illness with most of the herbs in the territory. Although she still panicked when left to tend grave injuries, the smoky she-cat had earned her mentor's respect. Of course, the birth of Snowclaw's twin kits had given her a chance to improve her abilities. Also, the amount of injured cats after border battles had given her a lot of opportunities to work alongside the older cat and show off her newly gained skills.

"I have had a great teacher", Smokeshade meowed, recognizing the gleam of pride in the tom's yellow eyes. The skinny medicine cat hesitated a heartbeat before licking her on the forehead, expressing his rarely seen fondness. "And you are an excellent student."

Suddenly, Redstrike's attention snapped to the den's entrance. His perked ears and serious expression told Smokeshade all she needed to know: Badgerstar was calling a meeting. Redstrike grimaced for an unknown reason -something that send warnings to Smokeshade's head- and motioned her to follow quietly. Together, the medicine cats descended to the cliff's bottom.

"I have known Badgerstar for a long time", Redstrike meowed to her, his tone leaking worry. "But I have never heard him call a meeting like this."

Smokeshade vaguely wondered what did Badgerstar said to make her mentor uneasy, but her musings were interrupted by the hushed voices of her clanmates. Redstrike quickly found a spot to sit by, followed instantly by his apprentice. A blur of nearing grey pelt between the crowd caught her eyes and Smokeshade quickly found herself face to face with Addercrash. The she-cat opened her jaws to speak but Redstrike's snapped suggestion to keep quiet made her think it twice. Instead, she opted to sit by her friend's side. Eying Redstrike wearily, Addercrash lowered her tone enough not to disturb the cranky tom and for Smokeshade to hear. "Badgerstar has been preoccupied about something all the moon. Frozenswipe told me that he won't even share his worries with her."

The smoky medicine cat narrowed her eyes at her friend's words. It was true that Badgerstar was acting strange lately. Her own mentor had even gone to snap at the leader about his unhealthy decision to lead all the night patrols, to which he had only received a cold blue glare. Smokeshade glanced at the crowd, finding that the tension in the Clan was evident. After what seemed like an eternity, Frozenswipe's call for silence snapped her attention back to the Moss Rock. The large black leader regarded everyone with calmness radiating from his pale blue eyes. Still, there was something that worried Smokeshade: the glint of desperation that flashed in his gaze. "My clanmates", Badgerstar began. "We have been all witness of the atrocities that RaggedClan is capable of. We have seen the bloodshed at the borders, the lack of respect to the Warrior Code, the brutal wounds to our warriors and apprentices."

Smokeshade winced, remembering the first apprentice she had to tend to. Windpaw had not even been an apprentice for five sunrises before he was viciously attacked during a patrol. The poor kit had been pawsteps away from StarClan for many suns and his brother, Sunpaw, admitted that he now suffered from nightmares.

Badgerstar paused for a heartbeat to collect his thoughts before informing the Clan of his decision. "After all this suns of pondering about this, I have decided to make a full-force attack against their Camp at dawn."

And the crowd exploded in yowls of agreement and disbelief.

Frozenswipe lost her tightly kept composure, whirled around, and stared at her leader, eyes wide in shock. Duststream, who had regained his health many moons ago, stood with a neutral expression, though the tell-tale bristle of his pelt spoke volumes about his nervousness. Greyfrost and Nightsong, for their part, yowled in satisfaction with the leader's decision. Smokeshade just froze in shock.

"Are you mouse-brained?!", a velveted voice rose over the chaos. The gathered cats hushed instantly and many eyes were drawn to Snowclaw. The pale grey she-cat lashed her tail, not caring about the pale blue stare of the leader. "You saw what those monsters did in small numbers! What reasons do you have to assure us that this attack won't be a massive _suicide_?"

The attention instantly snapped up to Badgerstar, expectant of the leader's reaction to such a challenge. The black and white tom held the she-cat's glare. "Our ancestors contacted me in dreams. If we don't attack now, they fear for our Clan's future."

Snowclaw backed off, though her eyes darted to her kits. Murmurs rose from the Clan, the tension reaching extreme levels. Smokeshade risked a glance to Redstrike to find her mentor glaring at the ground. She wondered if Badgerstar had shared those dreams with the ginger tom.

Badgerstar raised his tail for silence. "The battle patrols are already organized. The ambush patrol will be lead by Frozenswipe. They will position themselves to block all of the escape routes and as a secondary attack patrol. The two frontal attack patrols will be lead by Snowfang and myself. We will charge in their Camp directly and force them to head out to the open." The leader looked at everyone with a decided gaze. "The cats that will go are Eagleshadow, Nightsong, Jayclaw, Snowflare, Snowclaw, Firepath, Addercrash, Wolfblaze, Spottedwing, Greyfrost, Goldenwing, Steamcloud and Redstrike. Our medicine cat will stay hidden behind the ambush patrol to heal any grave wounds. The cats not mentioned will stay at Camp." Said this, the pale-eyed tom leaped away from the Moss Rock to make preparations.

_**Xxx**_

_"We are all going to die", Redstrike snarled, tearing apart his moss nest. The fiery tom roared in outrage and threw the remains of the nest against the entrance. Smokeshade let the medicine cat dispose of his anger, instead preparing the herb packages for her mentor to take to the battle. She wrapped everything with cobweb, knowing that it was less probable for leaves and berries to fall off. The barely hearable, resigned raspy sigh told Smokeshade that the destructive rage was over. She carefully picked up the bundles and dropped them near her mentor's paws. "This' all you'll need. I just hope is enough for everyone."_

_Redstrike growled, though the smoky cat knew not to take it personal. "It won't be enough. Not even all the herbs in all the world would be enough for this battle. Dapplestar, Blackfeather, Leopardfrost...with our luck we'll meet those savages in battle."_

_"We must obey Badgerstar", Smokeshade sighed. "If this is what our ancestors suggest then they must know this is the best for our Clan."_

_"It's not the best, is the only option", the tom hissed. When his eyes crossed hers, the fire died down and they softened slightly. "Stay here, stay safe. I don't want you doing anything reckless."_

The memory subsided as Smokeshade watched the patrols exit the Camp. Addercrash gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder before following Snowfang out of Camp. Both Frozenswipe and Redstrike gave her a final nod as the darkness of the cliffs engulfed them, leaving the medicine cat alone with a warrior, two apprentices and two elders in the Camp.

**_Xxx_**

"Badgerstar is too reckless", Hailwhisker muttered as he helped Smokeshade reinforce the entrance. The white tom sighed as they finished with the brambles, helping Smokeshade to get the thorns out of her fur. "A full-force attack is the perfect way to decimate our warriors."

"And what can we do?", Duststream snapped as he reinforced the medicine cat's den with the apprentices. "There's no other way."

The big tabby form of Trushcloud emerged from the leader's den, carrying part of the bramble that made up the entrance. "Nothing, just wait here until they return."

"We may as well eat while we can. Soon, the Camp will be buzzing with activity", Hailwhisker suggested as he padded up to what was left of the fresh-kill pile. The small group gathered near the pile, sharing the leftover prey. Duststream sat beside Sunpaw, sharing a finch with the apprentice. Smokeshade noted that he avoided any sort of eye contact with her.

"You know, RaggedClan has been quiet the last few suns", Windpaw stated, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. Trushcloud outright ignored the apprentice while Hailwhisker appeared to be interested. "Really? No border fights?"

Windpaw looked overjoyed to be talking with the former deputy. "Nothing!"

"Well, we did found their scent deep inside our territory", Sunpaw joined the conversation. "But Badgerstar said that it was probably the strong winds that we had the previous suns."

"Scent in our territory?", Duststream asked with sudden curiosity, ignoring Badgerstar's interpretation. Sunpaw tilted his head in confusion. "Yes, but Badgerstar said-"

Smokeshade felt dread constrict her chest as she shakily stood up. Hailwhisker instantly followed her, his eyes darting to every crevice in the Camp.

"What's the matter?", Windpaw said, uneasy at their reaction. Hailwhisker snapped his attention to the apprentice. "Badgerstar was a fool. He shouldn't had dashed to attack their territory like that."

"Lets go to the medicine den. Now." The smoky she-cat urged Trushcloud to his paws ("Careful kit! My bones are not as strong as they used to be!") and trotted to the precarious path on the cliff. The apprentices, still voicing their confusion, waited a heartbeat before following her. The small group was halfway up the cliff's wall when Hailwhisker yowled a warning. The EchoClan cats halted, looking back at the elder with tense stances. He flicked his tail in the direction of the Camp's entrance, towards the now rustling bramble and thorn bushes. What entered after made Smokeshade's blood freeze.

A sandy-brown head broke free from the reinforced trap. The cat struggled to free it's paws, though they were too tangled with the bramble to move them properly. With a mighty push and a painful rasp, the now bloodied paws hit the ground with unsheathed, thorn-sharp claws. Leopardfrost licked his wounds quickly before assessing the Camp, a victorious smirk on his handsome face. The legendary warrior whirled around to face the still rustling Camp entrance, though he made no move to aid the trapped felines.

"We are all death", Trushcloud snorted quietly. The tabby elder shook off the glares of the three adult cats, instead watching the oblivious RaggedClan warrior with resignation. "He's the savage everyone talks about, the one who murdered Tigerblaze's patrol all by himself."

Smokeshade felt a pang of long-forgotten pain suffocate her. The she-cat shrunk back against the wall with a gasp, hearing the muffled sounds of her clanmates' voices around her. No-one had mentioned Tigerblaze since a long time, so long that she had already forgotten the grey warrior's appearance (not that she felt proud about that).

The flash of spotted fur matted with blood. Void, lifeless eyes staring at nothing. The pain. There was so much pain. Snowpaw felt it too. Robinpaw wailed loudly, his composure lost.

Sunpaw's sudden presence at her side made Smokeshade snap back to reality. The dark grey and white apprentice was trembling in fear, though his eyes shone with determination. "We have to keep going. Badgerstar will return before they reach us. We will be safe." The smoky medicine cat nodded, though she -and everyone else for the matter- knew that Badgerstar wasn't returning any time soon to save them.

"The medicine den is easier to protect", Duststream whispered, his eyes locking with hers for the first time in many moons. "They hadn't seen us yet. If we get to the peak they won't be able to attack us all at once." The white-speckled tom slipped to the lead position of the formation, his bushy tail brushing her shoulders in much needed support. Smokeshade, clinging to his newfound friendliness, padded forward in a slight trot. Each several heartbeats they would look down upon the dangerous intruder, the same one who was watching his trapped clanmates with morbid glee. He looked peaceful now, like a dormant fox before his den is invaded.

"No!", Windpaw's hiss made the whole group freeze and crouch near the rocky surface. One of the lose pebbles, the ones near the apprentice's paws, rolled down the border and went bouncing to the bottom, the echoes expanding through the Camp. Smokeshade was the first to react, risking a glance to the intruder. Her teeth clenched as she met with a pair of mocking mint green eyes. Leopardfrost held her gaze for a heartbeat -an agonizing heartbeat- before calmly strolling towards the cliff.

"Run", the medicine cat hissed, already bolting towards the safety of her den. She heard her clanmates rush after her, all sign of stealthiness lost.

"They broke through the barrier!", Windpaw informed as they reached the top. Smokeshade unconsciously perked her ears towards the Camp, though she looked at the path nervously. Hailwhisker turned towards the terrified apprentices with the command tone of a deputy. "Stay at the den. Those flea-brained warriors won't be able to get you there."

Windpaw shared a glance with his twin, who stomped the ground and bristled. "We are not going anywhere! We are part of this Clan and we will die defending it."

The white elder looked at the grey apprentice with newfound admiration, though his tail lashed with frustration. "You have courage, I grant you that. You will turn into great warriors one day, but now is not the time for playing heroes. Are you really willing to sacrifice your brother's life in this fight?" Sunpaw looked ready to snarl a response, though the worried glance towards his younger twin stopped him. Windpaw, even if bristled in anger and with claws unsheathed to fight, cowered behind his brother in search of protection. The older twin nudged his brother towards the den, and both of them were engulfed by the thorn bushes.

Hailwhisker muttered something way too low for the smoky she-cat to hear but regained his composure instantly. His green eyes flashed with determination as he glared towards the path ahead of them. "Duststream will wait with me here for the warriors to attack. Smokeshade, you and Trushcloud will stay near the entrance. Don't let them get the twins."

It wasn't really difficult to follow his orders, that being the most logical thing to do. The four adults took positions and waited to meet the invaders with a wall of claws and bared teeth. Smokeshade saw Duststream's tail twitch before a tortoiseshell she-cat rammed her friend. The black and ginger tom snarled and impaled his claws mercilessly on the RaggedClan warrior, who yowled in pain. The smoky medicine cat resisted the urge to join the fight when the second invader appeared. The skinny, dusty brown tom launched himself at Duststream, but Hailwhisker grabbed him by the scruff and threw him to the ground. The brown tom, in his daze, swiped aimlessly around, hitting Hailwhisker on the front legs. He yowled in pain -though it was almost a whisper for Smokeshade- when the blow connected with his old injury and fell over the invader, crushing him with his weight.

"Watch out!", Trushcloud's muffled warning came a heartbeat too late, as she was bowled over by a blur of black pelt. The big black tom went to slash her throat, but Smokeshade -bless StarClan for her memory- used her powerful legs to throw him off her. Surprised, the dark warrior crashed on the ground, his concentration lost. The medicine cat took the opportunity and leaped on top of him, bitting the exposed belly. The tom yowled in outrage and swiped her aside, grazing her muzzle with his claws. Her enemy rolled to his paws and studied her with deep amber eyes. Suddenly, he let out a humorous chuckle.

"Aren't you the kitty that almost drowned?", his tone was evidently mocking. Smokeshade bristled, but refused to answer his jest. Instead, she focused on finding a weak spot to take the RaggedClan warrior down.

The black cat sniffed her from afar, and his smirk grew. "And you are a medicine cat now! I knew EchoClan was a weak Clan, but I never imagined they were so desperate as to throw their-". The warrior's mocks morphed in scream of agony when Smokeshade's jaws closed around his front leg. With a sickening crack, the paw twisted in an impossible angle that left the warrior screeching in madness. With guilt constricting her chest, the smoky she-cat left the screaming enemy to help Duststream fight back a ginger she-cat. In the way to help, her paws froze when a yowl of agony reached her ears. She whirled around to find the bloodied tabby form of Trushcloud sprawled on the ground. The elder barely moved at all, the shaky rise-and-fall of his flanks being the only hint of life. Near him stood Leopardfrost, with his paws marking him as the attacker, being confronted by both Windpaw and Sunpaw. The siblings had no hint of fear in their gazes, just raw anger. The RaggedClan warrior, for his part, just seemed amused.

"You scraps of fur want to battle me?", Leopardfrost meowed mockingly. At receiving twin snarls as confirmation, he let out a chuckle. His green eyes flashed with anticipation as he tensed his muscles to leap. "I warn you, your best warriors had faced me in battle and none of them had walked out of the battlefield. Of course, that I sliced them in pieces could be the reason for that. You weak EchoClan cats, you are as easy as prey to beat."

With a furious caterwaul, Windpaw jumped to the warrior, claws extended. Leopardfrost waited until the last heartbeat to simply step to the side to allow the apprentice to crash beside him. With exaggerated movements, he simply raked his unsheathed claws along the younger's cat back. At Windpaw's scream, Sunpaw rammed the sandy brown tom, taking him by surprise but not unbalancing him. A blow to the head send the apprentice to the ground. "I actually liked you, you know?", he stated as he padded up to the dazed twin. "Now you're more of a nuisance."

Before Leopardfrost could reach him, Smokeshade tackled him aside. Surprised, the light spotted tom fell to his side, only to roll to his paws afterwards. Standing protectively in front of Sunpaw, the medicine cat arched her back and growled. Leopardfrost seemed unfazed.

"Now you want to attack me? Come on, where are the true warriors of this Clan!", he snorted. Smokeshade narrowed her eyes, studying her opponent while she could. Leopardfrost was a seasoned warrior, that was for sure. His legs were long and skinny, but his powerful muscles screamed of the strength on them. In some parts, the spotted pelage was parted to reveal an old scar or -to Smokeshade's intrigue- a healing pink laceration. The mint green eyes refocused on her with resignation. "I guess I will make this quick then. Consider it a demonstration of my mercy."

The spotted feline dashed to meet her, unsheathed claws in collision course with her exposed neck. Smokeshade dropped to the ground, extending her paws to hook them on his hind legs. Leopardfrost snarled as he was thrown into the ground, landing hard on his frontal legs. The medicine cat wasted no time in slashing the warrior's back, hoping that, if she reopened the wounds, Leopardfrost would be too blinded with pain to consider anything else than a hasty retreat.

"You think that I gained my reputation brawling with disabled cats?!", the tom screeched, swiping his claws with precision at Smokeshade's head and neck. The thorn-sharp claws caught her ear, the pain making her lose concentration. The second swipe made a deep laceration in her chest, which caused her to swipe blindly. Leopardfrost batted her aside as one would with a pesky bug. "Stop playing hero," he purred with disdain. The RaggedClan warrior quickly pinned her to the ground, claws barely grazing her throat. "You aren't a warrior anymore. You shouldn't even live in a Clan that is at war."

Terrified blue met icy green for a heartbeat, and recognition flashed across the tom's face. "My, my! You were there!"

_Claws glinting under the pinkish light of dawn. Battle cries all around. Blood pooling on the ground. Teeth meeting flesh. Fur ripped apart. A command to hide. Terror. Anger. Desperation. Frustration. Why was she so small, so useless? Why couldn't she help them? Why was she hiding when her clanmates were sliced apart? Mint green eyes glowing in front of her, a pair of luminescent orbs in the darkness of the vegetation. Dread. Horror. A downright savage smirk. Trembling in cold fear. A flash of grey fur. Familiar dark green eyes looking at her in panic. Worry. Guilt._

_"Run to Camp, Smokepaw! Run!"_

Smokeshade shook the memory away, glaring at the RaggedClan warrior with newfound ire. Leopardfrost chuckled, knowing that she was an unfinished business. "Say hello to Yellowclouds for me, will you?," as he raised his paw for the killing blow, Smokeshade felt it. A change on his balance. It was minuscule actually, a barely noticeable movement of his paws, but she used the opportunity nonetheless. Using the same strategy as with the black tom, she used her hind legs to throw him off her. Leopardfrost crashed on his flank, rolling on top of the lose pebbles. He tried to regain his footing, but the uneven terrain made him slip at every try. The spotted warrior screeched in dread when his paws slipped over the border, gravity taking its toll on the tom.

Smokeshade cringed at the sickening crunch heartbeats after, not daring to look down. It took her a moment to realize that the silence around her was really there and not just product of her condition. The remaining RaggedClan warriors looked at her in a mixture of shock and horror, their bloody pelts bristling. The big black tom that Smokeshade had faced suddenly turned tail and limped down the zigzagging path of the cliff, uttering a pained yowl of retreat to his companions. Hailwhisker, in a demonstration of precaution, signaled Duststream to follow him down the path. The black-and-ginger tom cooperated, knowing how unpredictable the RaggedClan warriors were.

Smokeshade found herself padding shakily up to Trushcloud's side. The elder barely flicked his ear to acknowledge her, something to add to her growing concern. She quickly assessed the wounds, grimacing when she found the deep lacerations left by Leopardfrost.

"Is he...?," the she-cat gave a sideway glance to Sunpaw, flicking her ear. She unconsciously classified the blue-eyed tom's wounds as minimal. "No," the smoky she-cat meowed calmly, though her eyes looked troubled as she turned her attention back to Trushcloud. Sighing, she rushed to the medicine den, ignoring the ache of her wounds, and grabbed a pair of poppy seeds from what was left of the herb stock. She returned to the elder's side, coaxing him into eating the seeds. Tired yellow eyes looked up to her for a heartbeat, shining orbs lost in the horizon. The tabby tom swallowed them with certain difficulty. Trushcloud then let his head drop back to the ground.

Sunpaw, realizing the lack of activity from Smokeshade's part, bristled and narrowing his pale eyes at her. "Why are you just standing there! Do something!"

She inwardly cursed as she cringed under the cold tone, but Smokeshade knew better than to panic at his words. She refused to meet the apprentice's eyes, her guilt intensifying. "There are things even medicine cats can't heal."

Under the gaze of two clanmates, the old tabby's flanks ceased to move.

_**Xxx**_

The rustle of the Camp's entrance made several pairs of eyes narrow in preparation. Smokeshade, having been cleaning off Windpaw's wounds while the tom slept, crouched protectively over him. A grey blur at the edge of her vision signaled Sunpaw's presence. The young apprentice was indubitably tired and terrified, but one glance at his brother fueled his resolve.

As the large black body slipped gracefully through the brambles, Smokeshade felt the tension of her muscles melt away a fraction. Behind Badgerstar, the rest of EchoClan appeared, all of them branded by half-treated wounds. Feeling the urge to asses her clanmates' wounds, the smoky she-cat meowed a quick command for Sunpaw to stay with his brother before stumbling down the path. Memories of the previous invasion threatened to invade her mind again, but she pushed them back. There would he time for remorse later.

Badgerstar looked at her when she neared, his pale blue eyes dull with exhaustion. Being this close to him, she saw for the first time the deep wounds that marked his once smooth pelt. "We won," the leader muttered, his eyes lost. "But we paid a prize."

Smokeshade glanced to the middle of the Camp, where three bodies laid unmoving. The she-cat's ears flattened against her skull, her gaze unable to meet her leader's again. "Trushcloud hunts with the stars now." As once, the Clan's attention snapped to the cliff's face, where Hailwhisker and Duststream where carrying the old tabby to the center for a vigil. Badgerstar watched dumbstruck for a couple of heartbeats before regaining his composure. "What happened?"

"Invasion," Smokeshade croaked out. She shifted uneasily as the pale-blue gaze focused exclusively on her. "They knew you where going. Leopardfrost lead a patrol here." Several muffled exclamations reached Smokeshade's ears, though she couldn't make out a word of what they said. Many questions rose from the crowd as one but a single snarl from Frozenswipe had them all silenced. The slender she-cat limped up to Smokeshade. "Where's Leopardfrost now?"

The medicine cat apprentice flinched, her gaze flicking to the cliff's bottom for a heartbeat. The deputy followed her gaze and bit back a gasp, her cold eyes widening. She looked back at Smokeshade with newfound admiration while the rest of EchoClan realized what had happened during their battle.

"Smokeshade!," a familiar voice demanded her attention. The she-cat quickly trotted up to the increasing group of wounded cats, where her mentor was frantically cleaning Snowfang's more severe wounds. With trembling paws, she sat down beside Wolfblaze, who had a steady crimson flow coming from behind his ears. Knowing how low the herb stocks was, she turned to the group of less wounded cats, commanding them to search the territory for more. The cats exchanged hesitant glances for a heartbeat before Addercrash snapped them to move. With a surge of gratitude for her friend, Smokeshade focused her attention back to her patient.

_**Xxx**_

"Are you going to spit it out already or do I have to claw it out of you?," Redstrike meowed dryly, his yellow gaze scorching Smokeshade's back. The she-cat's paws froze in mid-motion while she silently cursed herself for letting her mask crack. The skinny tom waited for her reply, but his barely existing patience was starting to run out.

"I threw him off," she began uneasily. "I threw that warrior off the cliff."

Confusion flashed across Redstrike's eyes as he padded to her side, comfrey roots hanging from his jaws. "And you finished the invasion before they slaughtered you all."

Smokeshade grabbed a comfrey root and chewed it to poultice. She then applied it on Greyfrost's neck, where a nasty bite was still bleeding slowly. "But I killed him, Redstrike. I killed Leopardfrost."

"Smokeshade-," the tom stopped, an idea crossing his mind. His pale eyes shone with understanding for a heartbeat. "This is because if the Vow of Stars, right? Don't even worry about that, you won't need to take it for a while."

The she-cat widened her eyes, tail lashing in surprise. "But if I took a life-"

"I said don't worry about it!," the fiery tom snapped in a sudden lost of composure. "You can still take the Vow and you won't be chased off the Clan because you killed that fox-heart."

A quiet moan of pain came from one of the patients, making both medicine cats reassume their task. Somewhat relieved now, Smokeshade carried poppy seeds to the nests of the conscious patients. Spottedwing voiced her gratitude when she was presented the seeds. The sandy-brown she-cat even offered to help her give the berries to the patients that were outside. Somewhat surprised by the sudden kindness, Smokeshade gave Spottedwing the berries before returning to tend to Wolfblaze.

**_Xxx_**

Five.

They were five.

Smokeshade gazed tiredly at the reunion of cats near their fallen clanmates. Her fallen clanmates. They were five cats who wouldn't share tongues anymore, who wouldn't laugh along their friends, who wouldn't walk across Camp after a patrol.

Badgerstar was saying something. She could see him standing near the bodies, his majestic figure gleaming under the moonlight. The scars were still fresh against his pelt, but he looked as young as ever. Spotting her mentor among the crowd, Smokeshade slipped between the cats to get to his side. Words started reaching her ears until the rich baritone of her leader's voice sounded again.

"We might have lost five of our own, but lets not allow their sacrifice to be forgotten. We chant today to the stars! We chant their names so they can hear us when they arrive to StarClan! Trushcloud, Nightsong, Goldenwing, Steamcloud, Snowflare!"

EchoClan yowled the names of their fallen clanmates, a melody of voices echoing across the valley. They chanted until their mouths became dry and only then did Badgerstar continue. "RaggedClan won't chase us away. We are stronger, we are smarter, we are faster. We are what they never will be! We are a real Clan!"

"Badgerstar! Badgerstar!," the Clan answered. The black tom raised his tail, demanding silence. "I'm no the hero this night. I'm not the one who defended the Camp when it mattered the most. Smokeshade, Hailwhisker, Sunpaw, Windpaw and Duststream, come forward."

Smokeshade padded up with the others, feeling the eyes of all the Clan on them.

"This five cats," Badgerstar started. "Gave it all to protect the center of our territory. One of them even gave his life. We all thank you for this. EchoClan will make sure to pass on your story to the next generations. This here are the real heroes of this sun!"  
"Smokeshade! Hailwhisker! Sunpaw! Windpaw! Duststream!"

**_Xxx_**

"I always knew you would be able to do something like this, you know? I mean, you beat one of the Savage Four! No-one will be picking on you again! You're like a legend Smokeshade. A legend! You'll see that...," Addercrash's uncontrollable tongue would normally irritate Smokeshade but, oddly enough, she found comfort in the fact that her friend was still able to talk to her and that she could still listen. The sun had just risen and the Camp was almost vacant, all of its inhabitants still resting inside the dens. Addercrash was the one to fetch her this early, insisting that she should just relax for some hearbeats. This had of course outraged Redstrike ("What's the oh so great idea of coming at this StarClan forsaken moment! Get your horse-face out of my Medicine Den or you will lose your ears!") but somehow not awoken the rest of the Clan.

A cat suddenly sitting to her other side snapped Smokeshade out of her musings. She was surprised to find amber eyes staring back at her.

"Duststream," Smokeshade greeted, unsure of how to react towards the tom. Addercrash suddenly stopped talking and stood up abruptly. She risked an knowing glance towards Duststream before padding off, giving the excuse of going to check on Hailwhisker.

The ginger-patched tom sighed, his white-speckled paws playing nervously with the ground. "I have been such a horrible friend," Duststream began. "I guess that I just felt you were abandoning us all on purpose. Yes, it was illogical to reach such conclusion but I..."

"Duststream, don't-"

"No Smokeshade," the tom looked at her, amber eyes flashing. "You deserve an apology. There were no excuses for me to act as I did. You needed support but I turned my back on you. I saw how you were treated but I did nothing. I-I apologize, even if it may sound vacant, but it is all I can say."

The medicine cat examined the warrior, finding the tell-tale signs of tension marking the tom's muscles. Her eyes locked with his apologetic gaze and a small smile marked her features. "Of course I forgive you," Smokeshade purred, pressing her nose to his cheek. "No claws, no poison, but always forgiveness. Remember?"

Duststream smiled back, enjoying the feeling of having his friend back at his side. Smokeshade sighed in contempt, her tail twitching.

"So, our group is fine again?," Smokeshade blinked open her eyes to find Addercrash standing next to them, her stance playful. Beside the grey she-cat was Hailwhisker, who looked at Smokeshade with pride flashing in his eyes. "So, even medicine cats with disabilities have claws," the white tom meowed.

"Maybe I'm not a warrior in title, but I can still defend my Clan," the smoky she-cat replied. Hailwhisker chuckled, turning around to return to his den. "You finally understood it, right? The true meaning of being a warrior. It seems you did listen to me when I was your mentor."

Finally founding a moment of peace since the river accident, Smokeshade vowed that she would do anything to protect her Clan. To protect her family.


End file.
